Fuel-charge vaporizer for internal-combustion engines



Jan. 9, 1923. 1,441,809. T. H.JOHN STON.' FUEL CHARGE VAPORIZER FOR INTERNAL hOMBUSTlON ENGINES.

FILED AUG-23,1918. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Jill] 86/ 36 f g 1 r w lm jlg/ EiJ zit E:

T. H. JOHNSTON. FUEL CHARGENAPORIZER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

FILEQ AUG-23. 191B- 2 SHEETSSHEET 2- llllll'll) UN, VIHGINIA.

FliTEIi-Cll'lll-lJBtGrE VAPOFMJFSER INTEIEtld".llflL-UOMBU$TIUN EJZTGINJES.

Application filed August 23, 191%. Serial No. $351,196.

To all whom it may concern:

lBe it known that l, 'lrroirns ltl. JOI-IN- s'rou, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clarendon, in the county of Alexandria and State of Virg'nia, have invented certain new and useful l mprovements in Fuel- (lharge Vaporizers for lnternaldf onibustion Ililngines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process and apparatus for volatilizing fuel charges for combustion devices.

The invention has as one of its primary objects to provide a manually operable device for frictionally generating: heat and l111- parting the heat so generated to an initial fuel charge for facilitating; the starting; of an internal combustion engine in cold weather. v

The-invention has as a further object to iu'ovid a fuel charge vaporizer including; enacting; friction discs disposed. in the p: of the fuel charge and. adapted to be l'tll'm a one with respect to the other for hentinp; the discs and vaporizing said charge prior to its admission into the engine cylinder.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a construction wherein one of the discs will be yieldably supported in contact with the other so that there will be a corresponding constant frictional. tension between. the discs and wherein. means will be provided for rotating; the discs in opposite directions for overcoming the inertia of the discs at the time of starting said. discs.

I ani aware that it has been proposed to heat the fuel charge of internal combustion devices by successively impinging droplets or globules of fuel against several surfaces whereby the rapid vibration of the constituent molecules of the droplets or globules of fuel evolves heat but the her in-described invention differs from this ii bod in that the heat is supplied to the fuel independent of the fuel as an agent for producing: the heat,

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds in the dr: lugs, wherein l have illustrated thepre .ferrcd embodiment of the invention, and

wherein similar reference characters design uate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view showing my improved device interposed be ably connecting the sections.

Figure l a plan view showing the friction discs 1n detail.

Figure his a perspecfive view showing a moditic tion of the invention wherein the device is mounted directly upon a manifold,

Figure 6 is fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the fuel reservoir employed in connection with the modification, and

id igure Y is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale showing a still further modification of the invention.

In carrying the invention into eifect. I employ a preferably cylindrical casing 10 which may be formed of sheet metal or other suitable material and is split transversely into upper and lower sections 11 and 152, respectively. These sections are provided with mating cars 13 which receive bolts or other suitable fastening devices i l detachllormed in the side walls of the upper section 11 are oppositely disposed openings or passages 15 and 16 respectively.

dournaled upon the casing; axially thereof is a transverse shaft 17 received within suitable bearings formed at the junction of the casing); sections. At its outer end this shaft is equipped with a pinion 18 fixed to the shaft. Formed on the lower side of the casino; section 12 is a radial enlargement 19 and journaled through this enlargement is a transverse countershaft 20. The shaft 20 is received through suitable bearings at the ends of the enlargement and, at one end, has fixed thereto a drive gear 21. Withii'i the enlargement, the countershaft carries pinion 22 keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft, and holding): the shaft'against displacement is a collar 23 fixed to the inner end of the shaft. The near wheel 21 is, as particularly shown in Figures 2 and. 3 of the drawings, formed upon its inner face with gear teeth. meshin with the pinion 18 and suitably connected with the said wheel is a handle 24- by which the wheel may be manually rotated.

Keyed or otherwise secured upon the shaft 17 within the casino is a friction disc which may he constructed o'l metal or other approved material. shown in dctail in Figure 4. ot the drawings this iisc is provided throinghout th maj(ii-portion of its area with a plurality of relatively small aperturcsfZG and termed through the disc, adjacent its perighery, an oi cningg QT of a diameter equal to that oi each of the openings l5 and 16 and adapted to register therewith. Freely mounted upon the drive shaft to frictionally contact with the disc is a second friction disc. 28 of: a diameter slightly greater than that of the former disc. Like the disc 25, this disc E28 is )10- vided throughout the major portion oil its area with a plurality of relatively small, apertures 29 and formed thrmig h the disc. adjacent its periphery. is an op ning: 3C- (501*- respondinp; to the opening); 527 in the disc 25 and ac opted to register therewith and with the openings 1.5 and loin the casing; At its periphery the disc 28 is pi wided with gear teeth in shin with the pinion 4.1 upon the conntershatt $20 so that said disc will be rotated from this shalt. and hearing bet veen the disc and the adjacent side wall of the csing is a helical spring; ll surrounding the drive shaft 17 and acting to yieldably hold the disc 28 i i frictional contact with the disc 25.

As will now be con. rotation ol the groin wheel 21, say, for instance in a cioclnvisc direction, will act through the pinion ill upon the drive shaft l'Tfto turn the disc 25 in a direction with the gear wheel. i the other hand the pinion upon the countershaft 20 will act through the gear teeth at the periphery of the disc 2- to rotate this disc in a counterclockwise direction. The discs will thus be oppositely rotated upon movement of the rear wheel and as will be well understood this construction provides an arrangement whereby the inertia ot the discs may le readily overcome when initially starting the Mounted upon the enlargement 19 ot the casing; section if is a plane with the counter-shaft :22). is a suit able springpressed latch 2-32. the pawl o which is movable to engage within a notch 33 formed in the hub of the wheel .21. The notch is so disposed upon the wuccl huh that when brought into position l'or re e viing the pawl 01' the latcln the opeu and 30 in the friction discs will he moved into register with each other as well a.) :to register with the openings 15 and l6 in casirg". 'Ehus. the gear wheel may be locked in such position that these several. openings will form an unobstructed passage thron the casing.

In Figure l of the drawings. l have, in order that the mounting-and operation of my improved device may be clearly understood, shown the device mounted in active position between conventional type of carhurctcr 34c and the intake uanilold do of a conventional internal (()]1']l ll-llllll cngiu is shown in this figure, lhc casing in dis;- poscd with the openings 15 and d registering; respectively with the outlct par-sage of the cai'hurcw aud lhc passugc'c of lhe manifold. the dm'ice lacing sccurcd in [)(l-- sition by lroll's or ()llul suitable fastening devices cxlcnding through the side walls o! the casing and the usual ears formed ou the respective lcrinin s ol the carhurcl'cr pare sage and the manifold. 'lhus. it will I e seen that the device may he readily r-cciu'c-l in place without the necessity for any change in the engine inanilold or in 111 'arhureter. ainh as will now he clear in view ol" the preceding' dc:-:criplion. uninlcrruplcd communication lmlweon lhc carlun'clcr and the manifold will uoriuull l c established by the regn iny; opcinn's 2i and PM of flu die so th t when the device is not hciun actuallv operated. the lion ol lucl uiixlur lrci'n the carhurclcr llll' llllll t. c urui l'old. will he unhuinpcrcd, llznx'cvcr. should dil icully he eir' cz'i lurd n starting the engine. the lLilFl. 3:2 is ica-mi v-ihcn lhc hand whcvl ill is then Filed for rubbing the friction discs ai'uinseach other. These discs will accordingly luvOilH lllElWl and may. il d sircd. lie hcaicd dniic not, \l'lcr lutx' uri lldls healed lhc li'iclinu discs. llu- \vlu-cl l is ioppcd at some po d will: lluuoi -h oi the hub thcrcul out ol alincuicui w th the pawl ol the latch so that the opening! .37 and Ill in the discs will he will o rcgi i'cr. J. he d scs will thus hc caused to block co numication between the carhurctcr and inani'ioid Then. when The ctnrinc is wartcd and suction accordingly crcatcd in the uninilid for drawing; up a charge ol l'uel mixture from the carbureten the fuel cl1:ll';,"c will be caused to lake a circu tous course lhrcugh the ca ng. lirsi striking the dis J lo then low vcr and around this dis as well as ovcr and around llw disc ill in Zllilllj. [low up through l'lic nmuilold. At

1 same linic. lll, 'l'ucl charge will also llow i h such ol the openings 20 and 29 in the di c and will :li'i'ordlnglv lio licalod and \aporimul r, j-lcln' Jil llnu 111m)! l ning; drawn izdl i 'lh cylillllflig ol lhc ng ne. ignition rczuilih. idlit pl c. l al i n slarlvd llu he, he heel 7 s lurued 1" ll; nor'uul 7 Lion and latche a uin l mmclncnl, I accordingly novidc :1 highly cll'cclivc con. strucliou For the purpose scl l'orlli and device which. owing: to it raiundicily. is we l adapted for general use. Fcrthcrnuu'c. In nei'ierating' heal; for vaporizing the lord charge by means of the fr ction discs employed. liability of premature ignition ol the charge, such exists in devices of the well resist a eliunnated. In this connection, it should be stated that any approved selection. of mate- I CC , ureter-ab] mounted rials employed to :lorm the discs, may be made with a view to reducing to a minimum the possibility of the creation of a static spark between the discs.

In Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings l[ have illustrated a slight modification of the invention wherein the device is adapted to be mounted directly upon an engine intake manifold, such a manifold being conventionally indicated at 36. In thismodification; the casing is constructed as in the preferred form. of the invention with the eX- ception that the openings 15 and 16 disclosed in connection with the preferred c0nstruction, are eliminated. The friction discs employed are also mounted and operated in a manner similar to the discs of the pre ferred form of the invetnion, However, in this modification. the openings 27 and 30 in the discs are eliminated. Threaded at one end into the lower portion of the sec tion 11 of the casing is a shut off valve 37, the opposite end of which is adapted to be tapped into the manifold 36 for thus oper atively mounting the device upon the manifold. As shown in Figure 5, the device is upon the 'manifold above its trunk to upstand from the manifold. lllloui'lted upon the casing is an upstanding fuel reservoir This reservoir is provided with an outlet nipple 339 threaded into the enlargement 19 of the section 12 of the casing and, as shown in Figure 6 of the drawings, said nipple is formed at its inner end with a suitable valve seat. Fixed within the reservoir adjacent its upper 8K- tremity is a spider 4.0 and slidable through this spider is a valve 41, the lower end of which is tapered to engage the valveseat for closing the outlet from the reservoir. Elurrounding the valve a helical spring bearing between the spider and a'pin d3 carried by the stem for yieldably holding the valve closed. Threaded upon the upper end of the reservoir is a closure cap a l freely receiving the valve therethrough. The res ci'voir 38 is, of course, designed to con tain a quantity of liquid fuel. Thus, after the wheel 21. has been operated for heating the friction discs, the valve 37 may be opened and the valve 41 momentarily lifted for admitting charge of fuel into the cats ing to flow over the heated discs. The fuel i';l 1ai'ge will accordingly be vaporized within the casing to then be drawn into the manifold to the engine cylinders when ignition will "eadily occuia Under ordinary cirrumslaiuces, the valve 37, as well as the valve ii, is, of course, maintained closed;

lln Figure 7 of the drawings, ll have illustrated a still further modification of the invention. This latter modification sub stantially identical with the modification shown in liigures 5 and 6 of the dmwings with the exception that a priming cup 4.5 is employed in lieu of the fuel reservoir 38 of the prior modification, for introducing it charge of fuel into the casing.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of a charge-forming device, and means for frictionally generating heat independently of the fuel and of combus- "tion heat for initially heating the fuel charge.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine having charge-forming means, coacting friction elements, means for holding said elements in contact with each other, and means for operating the friction 35 elements to generate heat independent of the fuel as an agent for producing the heat whereby a fuel charge subjected to the influence of the heated friction elements will be volatilized.

3. The combination with an internal conibustion engine having a charge-forming device, of means for frictionally generating heat independently of the fuel charge as an agent for producing the heat thereby to volatilize said charge previous to adi'nission to the engine cylinder.

4. Tn combination with an internal conibustion engine having charge-forming means including a casing, coacting friction elements mounted for rotation in opposite directions within the casing, and means for operating said elements to generate heat, independent of the fuel as an agent for producing said heat whereby a fuel charge passing through the casing and subjected to the influence of the heated friction elements will be volatilized.

5. In combination with an internal combustion engine having charge-forming means including a casing, coacting solid friction elements mounted therein, means for rubbing one of said elements against another to produce heat for volatilizing a fuel charge passing through the casing, and means urging adjacent friction elements into contact wit-h each other,

6. lln combination with internal. conibustion engine having chargeforinin; means including a casing, coacting perforated friction elements mounted for rotation in contact with each other within said casing, and means for moving one of said elements relative to the other to produce heat to volatilize a fuel charge passing through said perforations and easing.

7. In combination with an internal con1- bustion engine having chargeforming means including a casing, coacting friction elements having flat contact faces mounted in said casing, means for SlllllllitlQOllSlY mo ing the elements in opposite directions to heat the same, and means for directing a fuel charge against the heated elements to volatilize said charge.

8. In an inte 'nal combustion engine the combination with a carburetor and manifold, of a friction heat generator disposed in the path of the fuel from the carlun'etor and including enacting friction el ients having flat contact faces and means for open ating; the elements to heat the same, whereby a fuel charge coming; in *ithin the zone of heat generated by said elements will he vaporized.

9. A friction heat genera or for internal combustion engines including a casino a driven shaft rotatably mounted therein, a friction eleinent fixed to the shaft and having a flat face, friction element freely mounted on the sl 1 and haring a flat face to coact With the fl t face of said first mentioned element, and manually operable means coupled with the second mentioned element and ope ably e aging said shaft for simultaneously rota n the elements in opposite directions to heat the same.

10. A friction heat generator for internal combustion engines including a casing. a driven shaft journaled therein, a friction element fixed to said shaft, a friction element freely mounted upon the shaft to coand gear loclh. a the casino. :1

act with the first mcnliimed element formed at its periphei' with countershaft journaled within pinion upon said c umtvrsha i't ongauiiu;- the gear teeth, a pinion upon the driven shall. and a drive gear fixed to the ronntershal't and engaging the second mentioned pinion. the drive gear being operable for simultaneously rotating; the elements in opposite directions to heat said elements.

11. The herein-described process of rola tilizing a fuel charge for an into; all combustion device consistino of 'lrictionally generating heat indepcmlently ol the uel as an agent for producing said heat and woni'eyingthe heat thus generated to the charge to be volatilized.

The herein-des(i-rilied process of \'ola tiiixing a. fuel charge for an internal combustion erurine consisting in heating: the fuel by rubbing f 'Jtion niemberz-s together and passing); the tuel into contact with at least one of said members.

ill. The herein-descrihed process of volatilizing; a fuel. charge for an internal rombustion engine consisting: in l'lll)lllllf friction inenibers together to heat the same and subjecting the fuel charge to the influence of the heat produced by said 'l'riction elements.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

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